Small Fixes That Save You Making Big Repairs Later

The likelihood of us doing something about a problem is in direct correlation with how it looks. Although this may seem like a blunt assertion, think about it. If there is a draft coming through your home, you are liable to ignore it until it becomes impossible to do nothing. If, however, there is a deep gouge in your front door, you will seek to repair it instantly. Even if it is mostly cosmetic, you can't leave it alone.

Although the impulse is understandable, the point remains. It is not in our best interests to let something go that is only going to get worse. While a small hole in a wall might not look like anything now, it is a breach. And the thing about breaches is that they don't fix themselves. It may just let a little cold air in today, but in the long term, the hole will get bigger. It will let in water, and eventually can become a serious structural defect.

So cast an eye over your home, from the outside, and ask yourself if those little, minor defects are going to stay so minor for long.

A few flakes of paint will often be easy to ignore from the curb. Unless you're looking for them, you might not even notice them until you're right up in front of them. But exterior paint is chosen for its weatherproofing qualities. If it starts to flake, then it has developed a weakness.

Before too long, more comes away and your exterior siding is exposed. Leave that for too long, and you are then at risk of worse defects developing. So the moment you notice flaking paint, it's time to repaint the exterior of your home. Even if it looks fine, repaint at least every seven years.

The human mind and its ability to ignore noises that shouldn't be there are true wonders of nature. When you open your front door, it should not creak. Right now, it's just a noise. But it's a noise that signifies excessive strain on the hinges. This means that they are weakening, and if left too long the door can actually fall off the hinges.

The damage this can cause will be expensive to repair, along with the expense of replacing the door. So if your door is creaking, investigate the source. It may be that you simply need to replace a screw or even just oil the hinges. These fixes cost almost nothing.

A small dent in your driveway can seem like nothing, especially if it doesn't expose the ground underneath. It's easy to ignore, as it's outside and not in a spot where you'll look all that often. But seeking out driveway repair information is vitally important. Try to fix it yourself without knowing what you're doing, and a minor problem becomes a "new driveway" problem. Leave it alone, and before long it's a pothole. Be smart, and get it fixed before that.

Making changes which seem fussy and superficial at the time can save time and money in the long run. If you could spend literally a few dollars to avoid a repair that will cost hundreds, why wouldn't you?

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